


the beam of your lovelight chase

by LearaBribage



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables (TV 2000), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Collab, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, EnjonineWeek, EnjonineWeek2019, F/M, day 4: mirrors, enjonine - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LearaBribage/pseuds/LearaBribage
Summary: Enjolras and Éponine are very competitive student leaders. So competitive that when they were forced to partner on a project, they're hesitant to admit that things succeed when they work together.





	the beam of your lovelight chase

"This is ridiculous. Why do I have to work with her?"

"Mm, I'm 110% sure it's to keep you in line."

Enjolras glared at her, and she watched with a dismissive air as he gestured to her. 

"See?" he burst. "How can _we _work together if we're going to bicker all the time??" 

Éponine laughed, rolling her eyes. "There's no _we_ working together, asshole. It's you doing the PR and logistics, and me doing the finance and externals. Completely se-pa-rate."

His eyes narrowed at her.

She batted her eyes, patting his arm mockingly. "There, there, I've resolved your tantrums in five seconds or less. And I didn't even sweat!"

Scoffing, Enjolras shook her hand off him as he crossed his arms. He turned his attention to the student organisation facilitator, Javert, who was only staring at them with a neutral mask.

"When _I_ finish this, our org points _will be_ given back and full rights returned," he demanded, air intense as the colour of his fair hair.

Javert tutted, fixing his glasses. "Not when, _if. _You must also remember that _should _there be any more incidents I hear about, trust that your org will be banned. You've completely overused the strikes after the protest went awry last week."

His eyes narrowed. "It wasn't even our org’s fault! We were peacefully doing it when some _masked sicko _messed it all up by attacking the people who attended!"

The facilitator shrugged. "The school is still investigating these matters, and so far, as the culprit has not been found yet, the school thought Les Amis should have this opportunity to correct that impression on the community, and since Mamselle Jondrette's varsity debate team has so far been one of the most successful organisations this year, we thought a collaboration would serve both well."

Éponine snorted, checking her nails. She grabbed Enjolras's arm before he could retort. Pulling him with her, she dragged him to the door and waved to Javert.

"How can you not care about that protest?" he asked, eyeing her warily as they headed to the library.

She ignored his question as they found a more secluded area in the humanities section and opened their laptops. "Whatever, let's just get this thing sorted so everyone wins."

Enjolras rolled his eyes.

* * *

Éponine was annoyed, eyeing the clock as she wondered why Enjolras was now thirty minutes late. They were supposed to finalise details on the segments for the breakout sessions, and whether or not a drinking party should end it. It's just annoying because they've been at this for two weeks and the event is next month. And though this wasn't the first time he was late, it didn't usually take him _this long_.

Flicking a stray auburn curl away from her face, she cursed her decision to wear her sleeveless black turtleneck today. It was humid, and she forgot to get her jacket back from 'Sette earlier during their team's practice. Nonetheless, once this meeting was over, she could leave the library and finally just sleep _all day_ at her dorm.

She was engrossed with reading Lundy Bancroft's _Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men_ when someone cleared their throat in front of her. Éponine raised a brow, unimpressed, as her lips formed into a snarl. "I was wondering if you'd waste my time with more waiting, but luckily I know how to utilise it."

Enjolras shrugged, sitting beside her as his laptop thrummed to life. "I was wondering if you'd waste our time more with bickering, but luckily I know how to end it."

Éponine scoffed, rolling her eyes. Opening their shared drive, she turned to him. "So should we end it with a party, or take the suggestion to have an open mic?"

He tilted his head as he took off his black coat and put it behind him. "Before we get to the end, an open mic is a great way to start the whole thing, but since there are speeches from admin, we could, maybe, put that in the middle? You know Prouv, he's really good at this."

Nodding, Éponine typed it quickly in the segments. "All right, so, the drinking party? You'd be down to do it? Because I really think we can double the tariff with a good mix, plus we can always count on students wanting that after a terse week of exams."

She could not help but smile. "Oh, and if the turnout is well, then splitting the money for both our org's causes _and_ fund shouldn't be a problem!"

Enjolras gazed at her, a bit surprised with her excitement. When she raised a brow at him, he shrugged, looking away immediately.

"We agreed it's going to be 60/40, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed, crossing her arms to ignore the goosebumps on her skin as much as she can. The library A/C was _turnt_, fellas. "Our funding's been good so far, and your org needs it more, so it should be all right."

He quickly read through their program and turned to ask her a question about it when he noticed that she was shivering a bit. "Do you want to borrow my jacket?"

Her cheeks reddened. "I was wondering if you'd be averse."

Rolling his eyes, he laid the sleeves of the coat on top of her shoulders. "I was wondering if you'd be so obtuse."

"Whatever," she replied, eyes intent on the screen, slipping her arms through the jacket and feeling incredibly warm and snug immediately. His scent wafted up through her nostrils, and she smelled a not unpleasant masculine musk. She sat up straighter, coughing. "Any updates on log?"

Enjolras brought up forms from his bag and handed them to her, brushing her knuckles on the way. She swallowed, and snatched the papers quickly to skim over it and sign beside his name. 

"Thanks," he said. "We can start set-ups and blocking in two weeks. My team wants to do a run-through next week. So what time do you want to set it?"

She fidgeted with the end of her sleeves. "I end practice at noon on Friday, and we need at least two hours. Two to four sound good?"

"Yeah," his eyes on her hands before facing his laptop. "Should be fine with the group. We blocked Fridays for rest day."

Éponine nodded, fixing her things at the same time he did. When they left the premises, Enjolras turned to her while they were traversing through the college's garden.

"My team's doing our own investigation on what happened at the protest."

"Yeah?"

He leaned in, gazing at her directly. "We have a few guesses on who the perpetrator is, but if you hear anything, could you let me know?"

"Uh, sure," she replied, feeling a little shaky, her knees weak. "I may know a few people who can answer questions."

His lips curled softly at her. "Thank you."

* * *

When she arrived on the auditorium, she expected that she'd have to wait, but today must have been a good day since Enjolras arrived at the same she did. Walking up to him, she handed him his coat, which he received with a smirk.

"I was wondering when you'd remember," he greeted, folding it swiftly before putting it inside his messenger bag.

She shrugged, keeping her mien blank. "Anyway, since your team already set things up, we'd just need to practise the program. Javert said nothing about us having to host it, so let's just assign it to Marius and Cosette."

Enjolras opened the door and let her pass, nodding. Once they got in and got everyone to run things smoothly, they took notes on what needs to be re-done or added. As any issues were either about the script or the props, they were able to end things at least a half hour earlier than what they originally set.

"All right, guys, thanks for coming in today," Enjolras said, signalling to the groups to pack up.

"The event is nearing, so rest and just remember your respective tasks," she added, waving at them. Then she gestured for him to follow her out.

"What's the matter?"

Éponine strode for a bit before turning towards him. They were in the garden when she finally spoke.

"I have a source, yeah? And they said that it could be from that 'alt-right' fraternity group across the Econ building. It was supposed to be just taunting, but apparently a member took it too far. They didn't say who, and that's the only thing they wanted to say about it."

His lids fell as his lips set in a firm line. "That really helps a lot, Éponine."

She placed a hand on his arm, her face serious. He opened his eyes. "You already know."

"Yes," he admitted, sighing. "And you confirmed that suspicion. But technically we can't do much aside from sending it anonymously. The process will still take weeks for admin to have it verified. A few more, if it will even be made an official case."

"And that's if they even get held accountable, right? That's a sad ending right there, Enjolras."

"I know."

He took her hand and held it. She squeezed back for some reason. His thumb caressed her knuckles. They gazed at each other for a moment before breaking apart.

"I'll be on my way to work," she burst, walking in the wrong direction. But she didn't care. It was just the long route, anyway.

In the distance, she saw Enjolras stare at her with furrowed brows, bringing a hand to his hair.

Her heart skipped a beat.

* * *

On the day of the event, Éponine was a bit unsure which one to wear at first, but since they wouldn't need to be on the spotlight, she decided on her sleeveless turtleneck again. This time, though she made sure to put on a patterned red coat to cover her. Once she was finished preparing, she texted Enjolras that she'll be on her way there.

She saw him reply that he was already there and left her dorm. The rest were already prepared, anyway. Ugh, it was a good thing they only had to meet once before the event! She didn't want to overthink things, and certainly not him because it was quite confusing. Shaking her head, she powered through, managing to get to the auditorium half-sane.

_All right, time to prioritise, _she reminded herself_._ _Event first, whatever later._

She was about to open the door when someone else did, and out walked Enjolras. She froze for a bit, and his eyes widened.

"Hey, did I stub your toe?"

_Goddamit, I said whatever later_, she thought before shaking her head. "Were you going to exit?"

"No, I was just seeing if the other prod team have arrived," he said, urging her to go in.

She slipped in. "Trouble?"

"No, stage's set up and everything, they’re just having a break, but let me get you to the back stage. 'Ferre and 'Chetta's overseeing food control."

"All right."

A few hours later, when the event started, they hung back by the sidelines to get a view of how things were occurring. Éponine checked her clipboard to see what segments were done, and phoned Courfeyrac to ask how the live stream was going.

When she heard that so far, there had been at least 30 shares, 100 likes, and a few or so comments, she thanked him and showed it to Enjolras, who was speaking to Grantaire on his phone to check on the drinks for the party.

"R said the booze has been delivered, and that we should expect to buy another cart or three to cover our extra supplies if needed," he told her, nodding at Courf's social media report. 

"All right, I'll tell Bahorel, he's doing supply runs with Joly," she said, texting him immediately.

Enjolras leaned back on the wall and nudged her shoulder. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she affirmed, closing her eyes. "I just want this done, so I can collapse on my bed and not move for the next few days." 

"We have half an hour left before the party. You can just do the thank you speech, and then leave? Because that's my plan and to be honest, in between law classes, investigating, legal aid, and this, I haven't been able to rest too."

She smiled at him, her eyes droopy from lethargy. "I feel that. Deeply."

His lips unfurled into a soft smile before turning away from her. He rolled his shoulders back.

“Thanks for accepting the admin’s forced task, Éponine.”

Her hand was an inch away from his on the wall. She eyed him through her lashes, her body warm, her thoughts out of control.

“Whatever.”

* * *

“Nice speech, guys!”

Bossuet’s greeting made her smile. She nodded, raising a glass to him. “Have fun, man!”

Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned to face Enjolras. He tilted his head, and they waded their way through the crowd. Since the party was getting rowdy with drinks being passed around, she kept bumping on to people and almost lost her balance when she felt a warm hand settle on her back to steady her.

“Stay close,” Enjolras whispered beside her, navigating them through the horde. His lips briefly touched her ears, making her bite her lip.

When they finally stepped outside, Éponine let out a loud sigh. “Oof,” feeling his hand depart from her, “that’s quite a fête.”

“Yeah, at least, it’s done now.”

She took her jacket off as they walked, and his eyes followed the movement before immediately looking away.

“You won’t be cold?”

Shaking her head, she tied it around her waist. “A bit hot tonight, plus it was heavy. I’m going home now, though. You too, right?”

He nodded as they passed the garden again. His strides were long, but rather paced gradually. “I’m really exhausted.”

“You don’t have to walk this way, if you like?”

“No, it’s all right, I’m taking the long route tonight. I have to stop in a convenience store before I do get to face my blankets.”

Éponine gazed at him from the corner of eye. “All right. Thanks, Enjolras.”

When they reached her dorm, she faced him. Enjolras raised a brow. “What was it you needed to buy from the store?”

“Oh, that,” his hands slipping inside his black jeans. “I just needed snacks. When I’m exhausted, it still takes me a while to sleep. I need food to ease me into sleep.”

“I have some leftover pizza?”

A smile danced on his lips. “You’re actually going to share? With me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Contrary to popular opinion, I’m not that too cold-hearted. Unlike someone here.”

He laughed, following her on the way. “Yeah, you’re not cold-hearted.”

“Ha, finally the asshole doth admit a certain truth,” she bickered, opening the door to her room before heading to the fridge.

Enjolras shrugged, staying by the door. Leaning on the side, he scanned the place. Books were laid open on tables and chairs while coats were haphazardly strewn on a chair. “You read a lot, that’s nice.”

Éponine arched a brow, handing him a container with three slices of pizza inside. “You have an oddly polite of way saying I’m a mess. Have a good late night snack, though.”

“Thanks,” he grinned, taking the food from her when he suddenly eyed a Blu-Ray DVD case of Trance on top of a book. “I’ve never seen that.”

“Yeah?” she said, tilting her head with a smile. “Wanna watch it?”

“If you don’t mind?”

She waved a hand over, gesturing for him to come inside. Enjolras set aside the books on her table so she could put up her laptop instead. When they were settled and finally began the film, Éponine asked, “How come you know about it, but not seen it?”

He took a bite of the pizza before answering. “Too busy with case readings and Les Amis,” he hmmed, his eyes narrowing as James McAvoy narrated the museum protocols for art theft.

She nodded, eating as well. “I’m like that too with mine. I borrowed this from ‘Sette, actually. She recommended it, and I’m going to return it to her after a while.”

A few moments later, her vision grew blurry as she yawned. Dismissing Enjolras’s concerns to stop the film, she powered through until her body just OFF-ed and she fell asleep.

When she was starting to wake up, she felt really warm and hmmed, snuggling closer to the source. That was until she heard someone snore softly on top of her head. Her eyes flashed open, finding Enjolras below her, clutching the back of her waist with two hands to keep her from falling.

She sat up immediately, startling him awake. When he came to, he shot up on the couch and stood, scratching his neck.

“Uh, sorry, I fell asleep,” his words slurred and still thick with sleep. His lids were still heavy, and his black button-up creased in places from where she dozed on top of him.

Éponine took a deep breath, standing up as well. She dismissed his concerns with a wave. “I was just surprised. Want some water before you go?”

“Yes, please, thank you,” he nodded, unsure what to do exactly, so he walked towards the door as he waited for her.

When they both had their fill, Enjolras put his coat on and eyed her. “Thanks, really, Éponine.”

“Of course,” she replied, a bit curt. She took a deep breath as she opened the door. “Take care.”

“Yeah, you too.”

She watched as he strode out when he stopped a few meters away. He turned towards her. “I forgot something.”

Her brows furrowed as he stood in front of her. “Yeah?”

“This,” he said, holding her face between his hands before kissing her. Startled, Éponine stepped back, and he froze, moving away.

She grabbed his shirt, pulling him inside and pushed him back to the door before pressing her lips on his soft mouth. His hands curled behind her when she slid her tongue, fighting with his.

They were pressed up against each other, leaving almost no space in between. She could feel every part of them collide, and she did not mind. Her heart was beating to the sound of his sweet breaths, his lips tracing the soft skin of her neck.

She moaned when he bit on it and to retaliate, her fingers tugged on the hairs at the nape of his neck. He flipped them together, making her gasp as her back hit the wall. Drawing little circles on her stomach, he kissed her again and again.

She kissed him back, sweet desire filling her being. When they finally stopped, he put his forehead on top of hers and pressed a soft kiss on her nose. The gesture made her laugh, and she eyed him as he gazed at her fondly.

Emboldened, she smirked. “How are we still completely se-pa-rate?”

He arched a brow, deftly moving his hand inside her turtleneck to unclasp the back of her bra.

“We can solve that.”

Her smile widened.

**Author's Note:**

> Title came from bQueen's "Now I'm Here" song. ^_^ 
> 
> -
> 
> This was written for the challenge where we can do a collab for EnjonineWeek2019 Day 4: Mirrors. I partnered with wellicks (@devilchurches in Tumblr). We agreed that I'll write a story and they an art for the fic. It'll be linked here shortly. ^_^
> 
> By the way, her edits are awesome, check her out if you like! ^_^
> 
> -
> 
> Some of the experiences here as a student leader stemmed from my time back in college. Oof, the Days(TM)!
> 
> -
> 
> Fic was updated Aug. 20 because I realised I had forgotten to include one section in my draft here, ugh! Still the same story, though, so it's fine!


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